Shoe and method of making same



|. F. s 'rARNER SHOE A ND METHOD OF MAKING SAME March 15, `1949.

2 Sheets-Shet l Filed Jun'e 18, 1945 l* INYNTOR.

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lilly/lll March 15, 1949. l, F, STARN'ER 2,464,355

suon AND mamon oF MAKING SAME Filed June 18, 1945 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR.

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`quite commonly known as Wedgiesf Patented Mar. 15, 1949 SHOE AND METHOD OllA MAKING Irving Foster Starner, South Bend, Ind., assigner.. lto Mishawaka Rubber andl Woolen Manuiac`v turing Company, Mishawaka, Ind., a corporation of Indiana' Application June is, 1945, serialvNo. .600,021 l' 6 claims. (Cl. ssl-19.5)-

and is lasted thereunder, shoes of this type being shoes usually, although not necessarily, have a. padlike member extending forwardly from the front end 'of the wedge .heel and similarly encased.

Usually the heel is applied in such shoes while Athe covering therefor is turned up around the upper, thereby affording access to manipulate the seam where the covering, insole and upper are joined together and insure placeimentof the heel so that this seam is properly dis-posed around the margin thereof, but as the covering is thereafter turned down around the heel and must conform to the shape thereof, this procedure is limited to low straight back heels, as a turned up covering for a high heel, especially if it slants under at the zback, cannot beturned down conveniently or' satisfactorily if the covering is of the proper shape to conform to the contour of the heel.

It has been proposed to turn down the heel covering before the shoe upper assembly is placed Such A io type? above mentionedshoe `structure of rthe* these and other objects being accomplished asr pointed out more Ifully hereinafter-.and as shown in the accompanying drawingv which:

Fig..1vis a sideviewof a Wedgie. type shoe -constructed in accordancewith my invention; v Fig. 2, is a longitudinal sectionalview through vthe shoewith portions of the shoe upper broken jspectively of Fig. 1;-

Fig. 6 is a top view of the heel member showing the layers that are applied on the top face ofthe heel and also showing the slotting at the rear 'that may .be used with a two piece heel covering;

Fig. '7 is a rear view of the heel member of v Fig'. 6; v

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary horizontal section through the rear of the heel member of Figs. 6

and 7 showing the manner of securing the ends of the two piece heel covering therein;

Fig. 9 is a side view of a iast showing the initialv shoe assembly thereon;

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9 l manner of vinserting the heel member; and

Fig.'11 is.a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing Aan'alternative arrangement of the stitched toon the last, and then apply the heel in place. :v through the open 'bottom lof the turned down.. w

covering but that procedure has not beenfound satisfactory with the heel covering stitched to@ ,y ployed 'with shoes of. other styles.

the insole entirely around the rearv as access canf not be had to the seam lwhere the 'lippen-'insole and heel covering are joined, and this seam acl ccrdingly vis oftentime misarranged.

Also in such shoesthe heel covering is-usually I formed of a single piece of material extending from each side of the shoe vamp around the back of the heel, and this one piece construction of the heel covering not only contributes to the problem of locating a high slanted heel in place but does not permit theeconomy of material that could be eiected if a two piece heel coveringv were employed.

along lthe sides of the forepart pad I5 and have,

their ends overlapped at the opposite sides of the'` lshoe as -indicated at I8 in Fig. 1.

The principal objects of my inventionare to provide an .improved procedure for 'assembling the heel in the heel covering of the above mentioned type of shoes; -to insure convenient and j i n or lasted onto the bottom faces of the heel mem' proper positioning of the seam where the upper, l

insole and heel covering 'are joined together; to

gether margins of the insole, upper and covering of the'sole and heel. l

@In the drawing, I have,.for `illi-istrative pur *q'goses shown a particular style of Wedgie shoe with-open toe and` open heel although it is to be ,understoodthat the 4invention maybe emvIn this illustrated shoe the reference lnumeral I.2 indicates the shoe upper whichis secured being" encasedin a surrounding covering composed of the two parts I6 and I1 which extend respectively Aaround the rear and along thesides of the heel member I4 and around the front and These'coverings Alli and I1 are attached alongv their upper margins to the upper I2 and insole I3v and have their lower margins turned in under ber I4 and forepart l-pad I5 as :indicated at I9 and A2li` respectively, an outer sole 2| being secured onto the sbottom of the heel member and `showing the accesos lstitches 22 as shown in Fig. 3, all the way around the shoe except at the front toe opening 23 and at the heel where/the upper is undercut at 24 to leave only a heel strap 2,5. At the toe opening the downturned margin of the insole is stitched directly to the downturnedupper edge of the covering I1 as shown in Fig. 2 whereas, at the heel opening, in the methodof the present invention, the insole margin may be stitched directly to the downturned upper margin of the covering I6 part way back from the forward end of the heel opening or for example from the point 26 to the point 21, at both sides of the shoe and beyond the -points 21 the upper edge of the heel covering I6 is turned in over and cemented to the top surface of the heel member I4 in a sort of lasting operationcas indicated at 28 in Fig. 5, while the marginal edges of the insole around the corresponding portion of the heel are turned back under as indicated at 29 in Fig. 5 and cemented to the top surface of the heel member |4 and to the inturned edges 28 of the covering I6.

Obviously any stitching of the insole I3 to the covering I6 at the heelopening or beyond the points 26 may be omitted and the top edge of the covering I6 and the margin of the insole cemented to the top surface of the heel I4 and to Yone another as illustrated in Fig. 5 entirely around the heel opening if desired.

The heel member I4, which is commonly made of wood or other light weight material extends forwardly to approximately the forward extremity of the instep portion of the sole where it is terminated, preferably on a diagonal line corresponding somewhat to the diagonal manner in which a shoe normally bends in walking, the underside of the forward edge of this heel member I4 being beveled as indicated at 30, and this lheel member I4 may be of substantial height and of overhanging shape around the rear as illustrated herein to provide a slanting heel which it has been diflicult to assemble in the previous procedure of making shoes of this type.

lThe forepart pad I5 may be of felt or any suitable material, preferably cushiony and capable of bending quite readily and is beveled along the rear edge to match the bevel 30 of the heel member I4 at which place the heel and forepart pad are preferably cemented together.

Theinsole I3 may be of one or more plies of fabric or the like, two layers of fabric 3| and 32 being shown herein which are preferably secured together adhesively throughout their area, and this insole extends continuously throughout the entire top area of the composite heel I4 and sole I5. A layer of paper 33, of medium cardboard variety vis adhesively secured to the top face of the heel member I4 and extends forwardly some distance beyond the diagonal forward end of the heel member I4 as indicated at 34 in Fig. 2, this paper layer 33 being preferably otherwise of dimensions less than the top face of the heel member I4 so as to leave a marginal portion of the top surface of the heel member I4 exposed along the sides and around the rear and affording in eifect a marginal seat 35 for the edge portions 4 A o! the upper, insole and covering I3 where they are stitched or otherwise Joined.

1n addition, a thm nner as er relatively soft material may be interposed between the insole I3 (composed of the parts 3| and 32) and the paper layer 33 and is substantially coextensive with the latter at the sides and around the rear so that it does not extend onto the marginal seatv 35, and all of these parts are adhesively secured to one another in the shoe assembly.

The heel covering I6 may be a single piece of material cut to suitable shape to conform to the shape of the heel member I4 which it is to enclose, and accordingly, when vused with a slanting heel such as illustrated herein it is so shaped that when it is turned down it has a correspond- 111g slant and is smaller around the bottom than at the top, it being important that the covering -fit snugly the heel contour without any fullness, folds or wrinkles as any such mistting makes the shoe unsalable.

The heel covering I6, however, may be made of two pieces, seamed at th back if the heel member I4 is made with a recess `to accommodate the inturned edges of the seam and insure a neat finished appearance at this place.

I prefer, because of convenience of manufacture and assurance of a neat appearance, to employ a two piece `heel covering composed of two side pieces as shown at |6a and |6b in Fig. 8 and construct the heel member I4 with a slit 31 downthe back into which the meeting edges |6c and |6d respectively of the two pieces |6a and ,|6bare tucked and cemented as indicated in Fig. 8. 1

Other narrow slits 38 may be provided at opposite sides of the slit 31 if desired to afford expansibility of the latter slit to facilitate tucking the edges |6c and IId into that slit, and it will be understood that with this arrangement, not only is it possible to utilize stock for the pieces |6a and |6b'which could not be used for heel coverings I6 of one piece but that with the two h pieces Ilia and |6b and the tucking in of the edges IBc and lid these pieces maybe pulled tautly against the surface of the heel I4 and cemented thereto in perfectly smooth form iitting manner and with an inconspicuous neat appearing arrangement thereof at their meeting ends.

Preferably the shoe is made with a straight or at sole 2| as shown herein and without any undercutting at the shank, but it may be made otherwise if desired. For example, the heel member |4 mayv have the underside of the forward portion archedjto provide a somewhat conventional shoe shank form, and the sole 2| may be shaped to conform to this arch and have either an integral or a separate heel lift on the heel portion proper at the rear of the arch as will be readily understood'by those versed in the art.

In making the above described shoe, the upper I2, insole I3, and coverings I6 and |1 having been cut or stamped in the proper size and shape,

the lower margin of the upper is laid along the appropriate portion of the margin of the insole and the corresponding portions of the margins of the coverings I6 and |1 are laid along the margin of the upper, and these three parts are stitched together along their margins bythe line ofstitches 22, the stitching being continued around the toe where only the insole and covering I 1 are stitched together in view of the opening 23 that is left in the upper, and the stitching also extends to the desired extent at the rear where the upper is cut away at 24, as for exam- `ple. to the points 21 at each side of the shoe, it

being understood that from the point 26 to the point 21 only the insole and the covering I6 are stitched together.

In this stitching operation the margins of the insole are usually bent downwardly at an angle to facilitate applying the margin of the upper therealong and the coverings I6 and I1 are laid against the upper in what may be regarded as an up turned position, as distinguished from the eventual downturned position-that is with their to the edges of the connected parts, or these edges are trimmed off afterward to leave only a very narrow width of stock beyond the stitching to be accommodated in the margin of the shoesole structure.

At the time of this stitching the forward ends of the covering I6 overlie the rear ends of the covering I1 at opposite sides of the assembly, and at the overlapping places they are thus stitched together by the stitches 22, and when these parts I6 and I1 are subsequently turned down tothe positions which they occupy in the finished shoe they are bent sharply just above the seam 22 as indicated at 40 in Fig. 3 and their outer finished faces which were next to the upper I2 in the stitching operation are then outside, and the rear ends ofthe covering I1 then overlap the forward vends of the covering I6 as shown at I8 in Fig. 1.

After this stitching operation, the paper 33 and filler 36 laminations are cemented onto the bottom of the insole I3, which in the present illustration is composed of the two fabric layers 3I and 32, the ller lamination 36 being preferably first cemented onto the paper lamination 33 after which the composite assembly of paper 33 and filler 36 is applied on the insole and when thus applied and secured in place, this composite assembly serves as a form along the edge of which and the assembly is applied on a last 4I as shown in Fig. 9 with the covering I6 in an upstanding position around the place where the heel member I4 is to be located, the covering I6. however, being Fig. 10, to its proper location on the insole, care being taken to maintain the stub edges of the seam 22 in proper seating position on the margin 35 of the heel from the point 21 to the front end of the heel member I4 which is readily accomplished because of the relatively short distance and the accessibility thereto at the front and rear.

The exposed face of the paper layer 33 and the insole face of the heel member I4 are, of course, coated with cement before the heel is insertedin place and after the heel is properly located the parts are pressed together so as to adhere firmly to one another.

After the heel member I4 has-been placed in position as above explained, the edges of the covering I6 around the heel between the points 21 are cemented and tucked in between the insole and heel substantially as s hown at 28 in Fig. 5, the covering I6 being at the same time fitted snugly around and against the rear of the heel member I4, and the parts are then pressed together so as to afford a neat and permanent connection of the heel member with the insole and `also with the inturned parts 28 and 29 between the margin of the heel member and the insole.

'I'hus a heel with any desired amount of slant or of any shape may be employed as it is merely inserted into the correspondingly shaped rear of the covering I6 which is already turned down to the position it is to occupy in the finished shoe and there is no stretching or distorting of the heel covering which would necessarily occur if the slanted heel covering were left upturned around the shoe upper and then pulled down around the heel after the latter was secured in place. Also by leaving the covering I6 unattached around the heel from the point 21 on one side to the point 21 on the other side and tucking the margin thereof in between the heel member I4 and insole after the heel member is located in place, no seam misplacement can occur as it would unattached to the insole I3 at the time from the lpoint 21 at one side of the assembly clear around the heel tothe corresponding point 21 at the lother side so that the coveringIB is loose from -the insole I3 at this place. The margin of the insole I3, around the heel from the point 21 on one side to the point 21 on the other side, which is indicated at 42 in Fig. 9,

may then be turned in and cemented against and over the edges of the composite paper 33 and filler 36 assembly, substantially as indicated at v23 in Fig. 5, or this operation may be performed if desired before placing the shoe assembly on the last, the covering I6 being at the time unbe likely to do if the stitching 22 were continued entirely around the rear of the heel.

After the heel I4 has been placed in position, the forepart pad I5 is applied and cemented in place, in which operation the forepart pad covering I1 may be either turned up or turned down as desired, and then the lower margins of the coverings I6 and I1 are lasted over and cemented to the composite sole I4, I5 after which the outsole 2I is cemented in place in the usual manner.

Instead of employing for the heel covering I6 a single piece of material which is continuous around the rear of the heel member I4 as contemplated in the above described method, two side pieces I6a and I6b may be employed and the heel member I4 may be formed with a slit 31 down the rear and additional spreader slits 38 if desired, for joining the ends of the side pieces Isa and I6b.

With such heel covering, since the rear ends of the parts I6a and I6b may be separated at the time, the heel member I4 is more easily inserted in place and the stitching of the upper margin of the coverings I6a and I6b to the insole margin may be continued farther back to the rear of the heel than with a continuous heel covering I6, or for example, the points 21 at which the stitching is terminated at the opposite sides of the heel may be as far back as 21a in Fig. 1.

With the two piece heel covering, the heel member I4 isslipped in place and cemented to the insole in substantially the same manner as previously described, after which the loose rear ends of the side pieces I6a and IBb are drawn snugly around the rear of the heel member Il, and cement having been applied to the meeting edges thereof and in the slot 31, these edges are tucked into the slot 3l and thus the rear ends of the side pieces I6a and I6b are secured in place.

Thereafter the loose upper edges between the points 21a are tucked in under the insole and cemented in place in the, same manner as in the case of the one piece covering I6 and the shoe is thereafter completed in the manner hereinbefore described. i

Instead of turningthe seamed edges of the insole I3upper I2, and coverings I6 and I'l downwardly'as shown in Fig. 3, the insole I3 may be left at at the margin and with no downturned edge, as shown in Fig. 11, and the lower margin of the upper may be turned outwardly as indicated at 43 in Fig. 11. The margin of the covering I1 (or of the covering I6) is, in this arrangement folded back upon itself as indicated at Il and then bent downwardly as at 45, and the butt edges of the stitched together parts face outwardly as shown in said Fig. 11, instead of downwardly as in the arrangement of Fig. 3, and are covered by the downturned covering II, and the stitching 22 is vertically or at right angles to the insole instead of horizontally as it is in the arrangement of Fig. 3.

While I have shown and described my invention in a preferred form, I am aware that various changes and modications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which is to be determined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 8

1. The method of assembling a heel member in an assembly comprising an insole with heel covering attached thereto, said method comprising leaving the heel covering unattached to the insole around the rear of the latter, then inserting the heel member within the heel covering and securing said inserted heel member to the underside of the insole, and then permanently securing the heel covering and insole together at the place where the heel covering was left unattached to the insole as aforesaid.

2. The method of assembling a heel member in an assembly comprising an insole with heel covering attached thereto, said method comprising preparing the assembly with the heel covering attached to the insole along the lateral margins of th'e latter and separable from the insole at the rear, inserting the heel member within the heel covering against the underside of the insole, then securing the margins of said separable rear por-J tions to the top face of the heel member in closed together relation.

3. The method of assembling a heel member in an assembly comprising an insole with heel covering attached thereto, said method comprising preparing the assembly with the heel covering attached to the insole along the lateral margins of the latter and separable from one another at the rear and cementing to the underside of the insole a stiiIener beyond the margins of which the margins of the insole are extended, thus inserting the heel member within the heel covering against the stifener and adhesively attaching said heel member to said stiiener, then adhesively securing the margins of said separable rear portions to one another and to the top of the inserted heel member.

4. The method of assembling a heel member in an assembly comprising an insole with heel covering attached thereto, said method compris- 4 ing preparing said assembly with a heel covering composed of two parts which are separable at the rear, applying and cementing to the underside of the insole a. heel member having a slot at the rear, and then adhesively securing the separable margins of the two heel covering parts together in said heel member slot,

5. In a shoe of the class described, the combination of an insole having a shoe upper and heel covering stitched to the insole margins, and a heel member secured to the underside of the insole with said heel covering on the sides and around the rear thereof, said heel covering having the upper margins turned in over and cemented to the top of the heel member around the vrear of the heel and the insole having inturned margins around the rear thereof overlying and cemented to the said turned in margins of the heel covering.

6. In a shoe of the class described, the 'coin-I bination of an insole having a shoe upper and heel covering secured to the insole margins, and a heel member secured to the underside of the insole with said heel covering on the sides and around the rear of the heel member, said heel covering being composed of two parts and said heel member having at the rear a slot in which the margins of the two parts are turned in and secured together solely by an adhesive.

' IRVING FOSTER STARNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record ille of this patent:

in the 

